COMPREHENSIVE IPM APPROACHES TAILORED FOR A DIVERSE STATE

Project Methods
The following methods will be employed to achieve our objectives:a) Agronomic crops – We will establish targeted demonstration research on cooperator's farms as well as at research and education centers that address current knowledge gaps and pressing issues. For example, we will evaluate tools to predict slug pest pressure and factors that underlie slug damage; improve monitoring and management of key pathogens (e.g., tar spot); evaluate weed management programs for herbicide resistant weeds; compare varieties and nutrient management programs; and will address other emerging issues as they arise. Data will be analyzed using standard methods and robust results will be summarized and developed into extension resources and best management recommendations. We will deliver agronomy extension services and resources. For example, we have been coordinating a statewide monitoring network for adult moths of key caterpillar pests for the last 7 years. We also disseminate timely pest alerts, pest management workshops and field days, information on yield stability and variety selection, and other best practices that improve crop health.b) Green Industry – Research demonstration projects will be set up in collaboration with stakeholders inin greenhouses and nurseries, and in urban landscapes to assess the impact of biological control, bio-pesticides, and low risk pesticides in response to invasive and emerging insect and disease pests. We will expand the use of new technology, including drones. Studies on invasive crape myrtle bark scale will be conducted to determine its life cycle in association with degree days (DD), and the use of low-risk control options. We will partner with USDA APHIS, the Univ of Delaware, and a commercial drone pilot. Studies will be replicated and statistically analyzed.c) Fruits and Vegetables – We will establishdemonstration and research plots statewide, showcasing novel IPM techniques such as disease-resistant cultivars, biocontrol agents, and cultural methods. These plots will be used for demonstrating differences in yield, plant health, and fruit quality using various IPM strategies to combat invasive pests. will be expanded to growers' fields, integrating new approaches into existing IPM programs. Fruit quality assessments, influenced by production practices, will provide tangible evidence of the impact of tactics on enhancing fruit quality, influencing growers to adopt these strategies. We will undertakeeffective communication through extension meetings, farm tour events, and targeted IPM listservs. UME-hosted production meetings will disseminate pest management results and evaluate future IPM education needs. Farm tour events at university and growers' farms will spotlight ongoing research, and regional meetings will present novel IPM strategies. Extension materials will incorporate hands-on displays for enhanced participant engagement. Communication channels include newsletters like UME's "Fruit and Vegetable News", peer-reviewed and Spanish-translated extension fact sheets, and brief videos on UME YouTube channels and the Farcuh Lab YouTube channel.d) Pollinator Health – We will give talks on pollination and pollinators to farmers, gardeners, and the general public. Talks will take place at the UMD research farms and extension events organized by our partners at UME, other DMV Extension services, the Master Gardeners program, and organizations that offer training to professionals in the green industries (e.g., horticulture, landscaping) and the general public. We will reach at least 200 stakeholders/year. We will engage advanced beekeepers in the state through collaborations with Master Beekeepers, empowering them to create top-quality beekeeping extension materials and helping with editing and dissemination through social media channels. We will train groups of 6-8 beekeepers/year, with each developing a 20-40-minute presentation on a beekeeping topic of their choice. Training will run for 3 months, with beekeepers committing to weekly activities. Building upon our Maryland4-H collaboration, we will develop and run a youth-serving program on pollination and pollinators.Since 2020, we collaborate with Maryland4-H to produce lesson kits (~6h of instruction; audience: 8-13-year-old youth) covering pollinators, pollination, and drivers of their declines. We will create train-the-trainer demonstration videos for current and future lessons – videos will be made available to instructors through AGsploration and YouTube, and links added to the kits. Finally,we will publish in extension platforms: Extension newsletters, and blogs Maryland Growsand Extensión en Español with bilingual (English and Spanish) materials.e) Communities – We will create tools and provide IPM and diversification training to community groups planting urban trees by partnering with the Chesapeake Bay Trust, which runs the urban community grants program, to provide workshops and training to grantees on (1) species selection and diversification and (2) IPM practices during maintenance. We will design, install, and develop teaching content for new MG demonstration gardens,focusing on creating hands-on content for MG trainees. After construction, it will provide collaboration opportunities with researchers to conduct applied research on practices or analyze data gathered with trainees. We will support the eXtension sustainable horticulture program and the development of new IPM pest management and conservation landscaping educational materials and events for residents of Marylandby using a variety of modalities (both in-person and virtual) and various times and locations. We will host events and educate through printed materials andincrease our video content through the demonstration garden and to travel to film new instructors.f) Pesticide Applicators -We will develop educational materials (presentations, handouts, webpages, and interactive activities) targeted towards pesticide applicators belonging to multiple pest control categories, including agricultural, ornamental and turf, structural, public health, and rodent control. We will collaborate with the Specialty Crop group to avoid overlaps. The IPM materials will focus on principles and human and environmental benefits of IPM practices. Materials on biological and minimum risk pesticides will include information on the benefits, risks, use, and efficacy of these products. Details on newly released products, like the foliar dsRNA pesticide recently approved to control Colorado potato beetles, will also be shared. We will develop materials that summarize EPA's upcoming documents on how pesticides will be regulated to mitigate risks to listed species. These documents include the Herbicide Strategy, Insecticide Strategy, Rodenticide Strategy, Fungicide Strategy, and the Vulnerable Species Project. Materials will also be developed to educate applicators on Bulletins Live Two!, including how to access site-specific data and save and print bulletins.We will establish demonstration plots that implement non-chemical IPM practices and that incorporate field borders, vegetative barriers, or vegetative filter strips (consisting of native forbs) on the downslope edge of crop planting. We will host information sessions and carry out guided tours of these plots during field days, farm tour events, and crop research meetings. Photos and videos of these plots will be shared on the university's extension website and on the PSEP website. Research-based information will be provided on the costs and benefits of these practices, establishment methods, and best management practice guidelines to assist interested growers and applicators.